Why Same-Game Multis Are Popular in South Africa?

Same-game multis allow players to use their own insight and knowledge, although the underlying factors of probability and risk are still the same. Let’s look at the rise of bet builders to understand why these options appeal to South African bettors, and why flexibility does not mean success.

What are bet builders and same-game multis?

Bet builders and custom bet options, also known as same-game multis, are a feature of sports betting that allows players to make multiple predictions for the same game, combined into a single wager.

Using a hypothetical example, a bettor looks at a PSL game, backing Mamelodi Sundowns to win, over 2.5 goals, both teams to score, and a particular player to have a shot on target.
Other examples would be a rugby union match, where betting options are which team wins, handicap, total points scored, and who scores a try, or cricket, where a bettor chooses which team wins, top batsman, and how many sixes.

One of the strongest marketing factors for bet builders is personalisation, where players can ‘create a story’ around the match, assume more control over their selections, and avoid predetermined betting markets. However, many bettors assume that taking more ownership of their decisions means more control over probability, when these options can actually make risk harder to judge.

Bet builders can be harder to land because every prediction must come true: this means that strategies like chasing long-shot combos are often riskier, and bigger odds should not be taken as evidence of better value.

Bet builders in a South African gambling context

In South Africa, online betting is legal only when offered by a bookmaker licensed by a provincial gambling board, under National Gambling Board ^[1] oversight. Local media coverage, citing NGB statistics, highlights the rapid growth of the sector, influenced by the amount of players accessing betting via online sites and mobile apps.

Similarly, Statistics South Africa ^[2] has published information on its site about the rise in gambling and betting, with local consumers shifting towards digital platforms. The popularity of bet builders coincides with this migration from traditional betting, along with the belief that building a ‘story’ around a match means more chance of winning.

However, while bettors may be confident with same-game multis because they ‘know the game’, the uncertainty of sport and the underlying probability should not be ignored.

The role of technology in bet builder appeal

The popularity of bet builders is partly influenced by technology, where sportsbooks can now instantly calculate odds between selections in same-game multis. Custom bet options also align with South African habits, being predominantly mobile-first and more accustomed to in-play betting and utilising bookmaker apps.

Sportsbooks also tend to promote bet builders heavily, marketing the illusion of greater player control to effectively mask higher profit margins from these bets. By allowing bettors to combine multiple outcomes into a single ticket and the risk players take from doing so, betting operators are able to factor in their ‘edge’.

Custom bets also have rules, such as legs being voided if a player does not start, and rejecting outcomes that are too similar (such as goal margin vs winner). Bettors should always ensure that a bookmaker is licensed in South Africa, and understand that factors like terms, conditions, and complaint channels matter.

The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation ^[3] also offers counselling and treatment for those struggling with gambling addiction, and their families.